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Best wishes to Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal, and Mamata Banerjee: Pakistani politician Fawad Chaudhry once again endorses I.N.D.I. Alliance, asks for Modi to be defeated

OpIndia Staff
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Best wishes to Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal, and Mamata Banerjee: Pakistani politician Fawad Chaudhry once again endorses I.N.D.I. Alliance, asks for Modi to be defeated

A day after PM Modi stressed that the issue of Foreign interference is a matter of serious investigation, Pakistan’s Former Minister Fawad Chaudhry has reiterated his support to India’s opposition in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Notably, on Tuesday (28th May), Pakistani politician Fawad Chaudhry said that every Pakistani wants PM Modi to be defeated in the ongoing elections in India.

Fawad Chaudhry also gave his best wishes to Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, and Mamata Banerjee and stressed that PM Modi should be defeated to restore India-Pakistan ties. 

Speaking with the news agency IANS, Fawad Chaudhry peddled the anti-Muslim trope to peddle the false propaganda of Muslims and minorities being persecuted and oppressed in India. He said that Muslims in Kashmir and India are being oppressed by extremist ideology which makes it important to defeat PM Modi.  

Extending wishes to the I.N.D.I. Alliance leaders, Chaudhry said, “…The benefit of the Indian voter lies in having a good relationship with Pakistan. India should move ahead as a progressive country, and that is why Narendra Modi and his extreme ideology need to be defeated. Whoever defeats him, whether it is Rahul Ji, Kejriwal Ji, or Mamata Banerjee, best wishes to them.” 

Fawad Chaudhry further claimed, “Every Pakistani wants PM Modi to be defeated. India-Pakistan ties can be restored only when extremism comes down both in India and Pakistan. Pakistanis don’t have animosity towards India.”

Earlier, Chaudhry had posted tweets in support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. On 1st May, he supported senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as he reposted a video of the Gandhi scion’s polemics against the Modi government. In a tweet promoting Rahul Gandhi, Chaudhry tweeted, “Rahul on fire…”.

Apart from Pakistanis voicing support for the opposition bloc, several I.N.D.I. Alliance leaders have also courted controversy and faced massive criticism for making pro-Pakistan remarks. Incidentally, on 25th May, Congress candidate from Jalandhar and Former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi said that if Congress comes to power at the Centre, they will open the India-Pakistan border. The development came days after he received a warning from the Election Commission of India for his objectionable remarks where he called the Poonch terror attack a “stuntbaazi”, giving clean chit to Pakistan sponsored terrorists involved in terror attacks.  

Amidst the opposition and Pakistan’s remarks in support of each other, PM Modi had recently slammed the Opposition for their support to Pakistan. 

On 24th May, PM Modi, while addressing rallies in Punjab’s Gurdaspur and Jalandhar, launched a scathing attack on the Congress party and charged it with “speaking the language of Pakistan”. He asserted that Congress will start sending messages of friendship with Pakistan which has been notorious for sponsoring terrorism against India. PM Modi added that several Congress leaders have been making the atmosphere for the same.

Slamming the I.N.D.I. Alliance and its strategy concerning National Security, PM Modi said, “These I.N.D.I. Alliance people are a great danger to the security of the country. They are talking about reintroducing Article 370 in Kashmir. They want terrorism back in Kashmir. They want to hand over Kashmir to separatists again. They will send messages of friendship to Pakistan again. They will send roses to Pakistan. Pakistan will carry out bomb blasts.” 

PM Modi added, “There will be terrorist attacks on the country. Congress will say, we have to talk no matter what. For this, Congress has already started creating an atmosphere. Their leaders are saying, Pakistan has an atomic bomb. Their people are saying, we’ll have to live in fear of Pakistan. These I.N.D.I. Alliance people are speaking Pakistan’s language.” 

Responding to Pakistan’s support to the I.N.D.I. Alliance leaders including Rahul Gandhi, PM Modi said, “The interesting thing is that Congress is dying here and Pakistan is crying. You must have heard that now Pakistani leaders are praying for Congress. Pakistan is eager to make ‘Shehzada’ (Rahul Gandhi) prime minister. You must have seen it yesterday. We already know that Congress likes Pakistan. The alliance between the two has been completely exposed.” 

Naveen Patnaik under Pandian’s control? BJP again questions Odisha’s ‘proxy CM rule’ as viral video shows BJD’s weakening leadership

Paurush Gupta
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Naveen Patnaik under Pandian’s control? BJP again questions Odisha’s ‘proxy CM rule’ as viral video shows BJD’s weakening leadership

On Tuesday (28th May), a short video clip of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik addressing an election rally went viral on social media. In the viral video, his alleged proxy, former IAS officer and now BJD leader VK Pandian, is seen grabbing his trembling hands to hide them from the public.

According to media reports, 77-year-old Naveen Patnaik’s hands have been trembling for at least five years, and it has been an open secret in the state. However, Pandian’s gesture to conceal his trembling hands prompted the BJP to attack the ruling party. Pandian, as usual, was holding the mike and effectively watching the CM speak with careful observation, much like a concerned parent watching the rehearsed performance of their child.

According to the BJP, the video is a symbolic representation of how Pandian has grabbed control of Odisha and is running the state government as Patnaik’s proxy.   

In the run-up to the elections, the BJP has made Naveen Patnaik’s alleged physical weakness and his dependency on Pandian a political issue. Party leaders have been going vocal about it, drawing the attention of voters as to how the “Tamil proxy CM is controlling the old CM of Odisha.”

Sharing the video, BJP asserted that the Chief Minister is under the control of Tamil-born bureaucrat turned BJD leader, Pandian.    

Taking to X, BJP leader and Assam CM, Himanta Biswa Sarma who has been campaigning for the party in the state, said that VK Pandian is even controlling the hand movements of Odisha CM.  

He wrote, “This is a deeply distressing video. Shri VK Pandian ji is even controlling the hand movements of Shri Naveen Babu. I shudder to imagine the level of control a retired ex bureaucrat from Tamil Nadu is currently exercising over the future of Odisha! BJP is determined is give back the reins of Odisha to the people of the State.”

Sarma has been attacking the BJD government, asserting that Pandian is dictating to the CM what to say in his election rallies. 

Likewise, BJP leader and Social media head, Amit Malviya tweeted, “It is however unfortunate how he is being pushed to keep up a facade. Odisha realises it. A graceful farewell to the veteran politician and BJD, in these elections, would be a befitting tribute.”

BJP trains guns at BJD, charges it of running a “Proxy government”

The principal opposition party, BJP has been launching a scathing attack on the ruling BJD over the issue of Odia pride highlighting that a Tamil-born bureaurcrat turned politician has assumed power without accountability. 

Earlier this month, on 18th May, Union minister and BJP candidate for Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat, Dharmendra Pradhan, criticised CM Patnaik and accused him of operating a proxy government, similar to the British era, which is unacceptable in a democratic setup.

In his election rallies, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been reiterating that “Tamil babu is running the Naveen Babu government from backdoor” adding that BJP wants to restore Odia pride and would make an Odia leader the Chief Minister of the state.

Addressing a rally in Odisha’s Jajpur, Shah lambasted Pandian (refering him to as Tamil babu) for stopping Odia people from celebrating ‘Ram Mahotsav’. Slamming the ‘political heir’ of Odisha CM, Shah asserted, “Can a person from Tamil Nadu be the Chief Minister of Odisha? Narendra Modi will give you an Odia-speaking young CM who is a resident of Odisha.”

Furthermore, several state BJP leaders had also alleged that Pandian has held CM “hostage“.  

On 28th May, Madhya Pradesh Minister and BJP leader Vishwas Sarang took a jibe at the CM of the state and said, “Naveen Patnaik is working as the shadow CM of the state, with VK Pandian being the actual leader. He didn’t even think about Odisha, its people and the Odia language. The people of Odisha will not accept someone from Tamil Nadu as their Chief Minister.”

It is pertinent to note that BJD, which has been in power in the state since 2000, has been facing mounting criticism over the allegation that Pandian has been acting as the “de-facto” Chief Minister of the state. According to the BJP, Pandian is running a proxy government, which is in violation of the democratic setup, as the Chief Minister, like all legislators, is accountable to the assembly (Parliament in case of MPs), whereas his proxy remains unaccountable. 

Apart from allegations of grabbing power from the backdoor, BJP had also filed a complaint against Pandian’s wife Sujata Rout Karthikeyan earlier this month.  

In its complaint, BJP accused her of “abusing her position of authority and public office” and “acting as a BJD agent”. Later, on 2nd May, the Election Commission of India (ECI) transfered her to a non-public dealing department. Prior to the action, she was the Mission Shakti department commissioner-secretary.  

ECI sources noted that the action was carried out in response to a complaint that the officer had abused her position of authority and public office. BJP had accused her of exploiting her position to sway voters in favour of the BJD by exploiting the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) program. She was “actively” acting as an agent of the state’s ruling BJD, according to a plea filed with the Election Commission by the BJP.

VK Pandian – Political heir and de-facto/proxy CM?

BJP’s poll plank on restoring Odia pride stems from the fact that VK Pandian is positioning himself as the political heir of Naveen Patnaik. While Pandian is not contesting the elections, he is the chairman of ‘5T’ and the Nabin Odisha programs, apart from being the close associate of Odisha CM Patnaik. 5T is an Odisha government initiative by CM Patnaik to bring in 5Ts (transparency, transformation, teamwork, technology, and time management) across govt bodies.

Last year in October, VK Pandian took voluntary retirement from the civil services and was immediately given a cabinet minister equivalent in the Odisha government. He has been the de facto ‘right-hand’ man of CM Naveen Patnaik for over a decade. He was an Odisha cadre IAS officer from the 2000 batch who hails originally from Tamil Nadu. 

In 2011, Pandian was appointed as the Private Secretary of CM Naveen Patnaik. Though he was said to be very close to the CM and was widely seen as his ‘right hand’ man, Pandian rose to prominence in Odisha’s political and executive scenario after 2019, when he was appointed as the ‘5T secretary’. 

Pandian’s increasing influence and power projection in Odisha politics was raising many eyebrows as Opposition leaders questioned how a serving IAS officer could be projected as the CM’s envoy and ‘replacement’, flying around in helicopters and being welcomed with garlands and flowers by the public and party leaders wherever he goes. Many opposition leaders had challenged Pandian to quit his job and join active politics.

Pandian, who became the “face” of the Naveen Patnaik government, openly declared in public meetings that he was there to meet people on behalf of CM Patnaik. CM Patnaik, who is 77, is not very physically active and does not step out of the CM residence very often. With his continuous absence, questions and speculations have been lingering around his health prompting the BJP to assert that the Chief Minister is not seeking a fresh mandate for his government but rather for his Tamil-born successor Pandian. 

CM Patnaik has been rejecting speculations about his declining health stating that he is in “very good health”, despite his increasing absence and several videos of his trembling hands coming into the public domain. In the meanwhile, the opposition has been sharping their attack on the issue of Odia Asmita and the alleged ‘power grab’ by Pandian. 

In multiple statements and videos, Patnaik (and Pandian) have rejected the ‘rumours’ of the former’s ill health and have insisted that the Odisha CM is alright, both physically and mentally. Even today, after the viral video saw reactions by Assam CM Sarma, Naveen Patnaik posted on social media expressing concerns about the damages in Assam due to cyclone Remal. He assured Assam of Odisha’s all possible support and assistance in the wake of the natural calamity.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik on X

Nonetheless, politicians worldwide have been excelling in the trait of deflecting concerns about their perceived or visible ailments while being in active politics – barring the stellar example of Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe, who resigned over health concerns – with health issues often catching up with them once they face legal troubles.

Chandan Yadav, arrested in murder of Harsh Raj in Patna, is Vice President of leftist student organization AISA: Chandan was active in the rallies of Lalu Yadav and Rahul Gandhi

OpIndia Staff
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Chandan Yadav, arrested in murder of Harsh Raj in Patna, is Vice President of leftist student organization AISA: Chandan was active in the rallies of Lalu Yadav and Rahul Gandhi

A student named Harsh Raj was beaten to death in front of the Law College in Patna, the capital of Bihar. The police has succeeded in arresting Chandan Yadav, the main conspirator of this case, within 24 hours. The police have described the arrested Chandan Yadav as ‘notorious’ and ‘liner’. The police covered his face with a mask while producing him. Chandan’s father’s name is Jitendra Yadav, resident of Amhara village of Bihta. Around a dozen criminals in total were involved in the murder of Harsh Raj.

Chandan Yadav is associated with the leftist student organization AISA (All India Students Association). After the revelations that have come to light, it seems that the mahagathbandhan of Bihar, which was attacking the NDA government regarding this murder, and demanding the arrest of the accused, will be now put in the dock over this murder. On social media, Chandan Yadav is seen asking for votes for Sandeep Saurav of CPI(ML)L, the mahagathbandhan candidate from Nalanda.

Sandeep Saurav became MLA from Paliganj in Patna in 2020. He had left the post of Assistant Professor and joined politics. Chandan Yadav is a student of journalism at Patna University. He is in final year. He is also the Vice President of AISA in Patna University. Chandan Yadav was living in Jackson Hostel for the past 2 years. He has also gone around asking for votes for mahagathbandhan candidate from Nalanda. He was also very active in the joint rally of the mahagathbandhan held at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on March 3.

That rally was also addressed by Rahul Gandhi, while Lalu Yadav and Sitaram Yechury were also present on the stage. Videos of Chandan Yadav’s activism in this rally are also available on his social media handles. In such a situation, RJD, known for the hooliganism of its leaders, may once again face embarrassment due to the acts of its supporters.

Notably, Harsh Raj had organized Dandiya Night on the occasion of Dussehra in 2023. During that time there was a dispute, due to which he was eventually murdered.

Swati Maliwal assault case: Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar sent to three-day police custody

OpIndia Staff
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Swati Maliwal assault case: Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar sent to three-day police custody

On Tuesday, a Delhi court placed Bibhav Kumar, an aide to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in police custody for three days in connection with the alleged assault of AAP MP Swati Maliwal. Kumar, who serves as Kejriwal’s assistant, is accused of assaulting Maliwal on May 13 when she visited Kejriwal’s residence.

Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal ordered Kumar to remain in custody until May 31, with a detailed court order pending.

The Delhi Police requested a five-day custody of Kumar, but his lawyer opposed this, arguing that there was no evidence to support the need for custodial interrogation.

Kumar’s bail plea was denied by a sessions court on Monday, which noted that Maliwal’s FIR did not seem premeditated and her allegations were credible. Following this, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced that Kumar would appeal the decision in the Delhi High Court.

During Monday’s hearing, Swati Maliwal, who attended the session, opposed Kumar’s bail plea, citing threats she had received and breaking down in tears. The Delhi Police also opposed the bail application, claiming it was not filed in the correct court.

Kumar’s counsel argued against the accusations, stating that Maliwal had trespassed and had no appointment or prior notice of her visit to the official residence of the Chief Minister.

Kumar was arrested on May 18 and initially placed in police custody for five days. Following this, he was sent to four days of judicial custody last Friday. The FIR against him was lodged on May 16 under several IPC sections, including those for criminal intimidation, assault with the intent to disrobe, and attempted culpable homicide.

Pakistan: How good deed of Christian man Nazir Masih led to his lynching by Islamists over ‘blasphemy’

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: How good deed of Christian man Nazir Masih led to his lynching by Islamists over ‘blasphemy’

On Saturday (25th May), an elderly Christian man named Nazir Masih was lynched by a frenzied Muslim mob over dubious allegations of Toheen-e-Mazhab (blasphemy). The incident took place in Mujahid Colony in Sargodha city in Punjab province of Pakistan.

The Muslim mob vandalised Masih’s house, looted his factory and set him ablaze over rumours that he burnt pages of the Quran. In reality, the victim was acting out of goodwill and that cost him his life.

While speaking about the matter to Swarajya, the nephew of the victim Tariq Sajid said that a massive storm swept through their neighbourhood in the intervening night between 24th May and 25th May.

As a result, debris accumulated on the street in Mujahid Colony and made it difficult for people to commute. The elderly Christian man swept the street and collected the garbage near an electricity pole, without knowing that it contained a box full of pages from the Quran.

Nazir Masih then set the garbage on fire. A Muslim passerby saw the victim burning the debris and concluded that he intentionally burnt the holy Islamic text. This gave rise to a rumour that the Christian man deliberately committed blasphemy.

Sajid told Swarajya, “My uncle was only trying to do a good deed by cleaning the street, but see what it did to him.” He added that the contents of the box (known as Muqaddas Quran) must have accidentally fallen into the trash during the storm.

Reportedly, the radical Islamist outfit Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) put up boxes on street corners across Pakistan so that people can keep discarded holy texts in them instead of garbage bin.

According to Sajid, a jealous woman must have triggered the Muslim mob by falsely accusing Nazir Masih, a well-to-do Christian, of blasphemy.

“I’ve been observing blasphemy cases since the 1980s, and in ninety per cent of the cases, personal jealousy is the driving force behind rumours of blasphemy against members of minority communities,” Sajid told Swarajya.

“Sometimes, something as simple as a Christian wearing a nice suit can be enough to incite them to plot our downfall,” he concluded.

TMC cheated OBCs in West Bengal for vote jihad, Court exposed them: PM Modi

ANI
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TMC cheated OBCs in West Bengal for vote jihad, Court exposed them: PM Modi

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the Trinamool Congress-led government in West Bengal cheated the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the state and snatched away their rights to appease the Muslim communities.

The remarks of the Prime Minister were in reference to the Calcutta High Court cancelling all OBC certificates issued in West Bengal after 2010. The court has directed the West Bengal Backward Classes Commission to prepare a new list of OBCs in accordance with the 1993 Act.

Addressing an election rally in Barasat, Prime Minister said, “All these who shout day and night about Constitution should come and witness what is happening in Bengal. TMC cheated OBCs in West Bengal for vote jihad. Court exposed them. Calcutta High Court said that 77 Muslim communities were included in the OBC lists. It is unconstitutional. They played with the rights of lakhs of OBC, a right which Dr Baba Saheb had given to them.”

Expressing his surprise over West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee opposing the Calcutta High Court order scrapping OBC certificates issued after 2010, the Prime Minister said that how can she question the intentions of the judges?

“Will you let your goons go after the judges now ? The whole country is watching how TMC is trying to throttle judiciary,” he said. He further slammed Congress and the Left parties for looting West Bengal in their respective tenures.

“Bengal was first looted by Congress and then Left. Now, TMC is looting it with both hands. Congress, CPM and TMC–all three of them are accused of looting West Bengal. People also know that every vote cast for CPM will land in the account of TMC. TMC and Left are two sides of the same coin. The CM has even announced that she will support them in Delhi (at the Centre). So, Bengal has understood all the games being played behind the curtains,” he said.

Slamming TMC MLA Humayun Kabir for his ‘throw BJP supporters in Bhagirathi river’ remarks, Prime Minister said the ruling Bengal party cannot tolerate the truth.

“Whoever tries to bring out TMC’s truth is targeted by the TMC. A TMC MLA said, “Hinduon ko Bhagirathi mein baha denge. Saints of great institutions like the Ramakrishna Mission, ISKCON, and Bharat Sevashram Sangha were humiliated. This is being done to appease their vote bank and further the vote jihad,” he said.

The Prime Minister also said that he is giving a new guarantee to the country, especially West Bengal. “Jisne khaaya hai, ussey baahar nikaloonga aur jiska khaaya hai usko main lautaaoonga.”

The Prime Minister also said that the Centre is continuously monitoring the effects of Cyclone Remal.

“First of all, I bow before Maa Kaali. With her blessings, together we faced the cyclone (Remal). The government of India continuously monitored the cyclone, and I too was in continuous touch. NDRF and other teams did good work. The Central Government is providing all possible help to the State Government,” he said.

Six phases of the Lok Sabha elections are over and the final phase will be held on June 1 in 57 constituencies in eight states and union territories. The polling for 42 seats of West Bengal is being held across all seven phases. The results of the elections will be declared on June 4.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Karnataka: Muslim mob attacks Hindu youth, ransacks houses over a minor street scuffle

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Muslim mob attacks Hindu youth, ransacks houses over a minor street scuffle

In Bellur town of Karnataka’s Mandya district, a Muslim mob perpetrated violence against a Hindu youth Abhilash and ransacked several houses on the 27th of May after an altercation two days earlier over the speeding of the car. In the attack on Monday, Abhilash suffered serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Bellur.

On Friday, Abhilash, who was riding a bike, objected to a group of youngsters driving recklessly. When asked to drive carefully, the Muslim youths attacked 29-year-old Abhilash and his father-in-law, Nagesh. On Monday, the Muslim youths gathered a larger group and assaulted Abhilash again. The group attacked those also who tried to rescue Abhilash. The accused Muslim youths also looted Nagesh’s house that night in Nagamangala area.

Due to ongoing tensions between the two communities, police have increased security in Bellur. Meanwhile, a complaint has been filed with the Bellur police station regarding this matter. After the incident, a large number of local people, including women, staged a protest outside the Bellur police station and demanded stringent action against the attackers.

“When a group of youngsters were driving a car recklessly in the market near Sante Street on the 24th of May, Abhilash and his friend Nagesh questioned them and asked them to drive cautiously and slowly. Upset over this, they arrived near Abhilash’s house on Monday night and attacked him. In the altercation, some houses incurred minor damages. Abhilash was rushed to the AIMS hospital and is responding to the treatment,” the Police said.

Uttarakhand: Hakeem Mufti Adil booked for converting an elderly couple to Islam, had converted many poor people. Read exclusive details from FIR

OpIndia Staff
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Uttarakhand: Hakeem Mufti Adil booked for converting an elderly couple to Islam, had converted many poor people. Read exclusive details from FIR

A case of forced conversion has come to light in Uttarakhand. On 25th May, Ranipur Police of district Haridwar, Uttarakhand, registered an FIR against Hakeem Mufti Adil under Sections 3 and 5 of the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018 on complaint of a man named Kundan. In his complaint, Kundan said that Hakeem Mufti Adil lured his parents to convert to Islam in exchange of money.

OpIndia accessed the FIR registered in the case. The FIR read, “I request you to register a report and take legal action concerning the matter of religious conversion through deception and allurement of money. My parents, Sangeeta (wife of Charan Singh) and Charan Singh (son of Kartar Singh) are both illiterate and simple, poor people. Due to illness, they frequently visited a Hakim in Vikasnagar, Dehradun district, for treatment. This Hakim, Mufti Adil (son of Rifaqat), who resides near the police post in Vikasnagar, lured my parents with promises of money and land, resulting in their conversion to Islam.”

The FIR further read, “This Maulana has previously been involved in converting poor and illiterate people by offering them money and is a very cunning individual. Consequently, my family and I are under a constant threat to our lives and property. Therefore, I kindly request that you register a case of religious conversion against this Maulana and take necessary action so that he cannot legally convert any more poor and illiterate Hindus.”

The Haridwar police have registered a case against Mufti Adil, a resident of Vikasnagar, for coercing and enticing a Hindu couple to convert to Islam. The accused, however, remains at large, with multiple police teams searching for his whereabouts.

Police registered a case against Hakeem Mufti Adil on Kundan’s complaint and initiated an investigation. A team was dispatched to Vikasnagar on Monday night. Hindustan report suggested that the accused was apprehended by the police and brought to an outpost on Monday morning but subsequently escaped raising questions over the circumstances in which he managed to do so.

The station in charge of Vikasnagar police station, Rajesh Shah, said in a statement that local police are investigating the matter. The police are trying to locate his whereabouts. The accused has been distributing medicines in the area for years and managed to evade scrutiny in forced conversion cases till date. MLA Munna Chauhan of BJP has asked police to ensure the accused is apprehended as soon as possible.

Press under attack? Zee media says AAP govt in Punjab has blacked out Zee channels in the state, calls it ‘state of emergency’: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Press under attack? Zee media says AAP govt in Punjab has blacked out Zee channels in the state, calls it ‘state of emergency’: Details

On Tuesday, 28th May, in an unprecedented move, the Punjab Government banned all channels of Zee Media in the state. In a report, Zee News Hindi alleged that the step was taken by the government after Zee News raised issues related to the public and questioned the state government over its shortcomings amid the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Zee Media has questioned after this ban that if there is an “state of emergency” in Punjab.

Speaking to Zee News, BJP leader Jawahar Yadav said, “It is clear that media is not allowed to show the truth in Punjab without the approval of Aam Aadmi Party-led state government.” He urged those who accused the media personnel and channels of being “Godi Media” to come forward and express their views on the alleged ban imposed on Zee Media channels in the state. AAP-led Punjab Government is yet to issue any statement in the matter.

Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government is already facing heat as on 27th May, BJP’s Tajinder Bagga released a video of AAP’s minister Balkar Singh allegding that the AAP’s minister sexually exploited a 21-year female job seeker over a video call.

Punjab government’s decision to allegedly blackout Zee Media channels in the state came days before the state is scheduled to poll for Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The polling will take place on 1st June 2024, the last phase of polling in General Elections. The result will be announced on 4th June.

Rahul Gandhi promises to remove 50 pc reservation cap: Gandhi scion’s pipe dream bypasses SC order even as he ceaselessly accuses BJP of altering constitution

Amit Kelkar
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Rahul Gandhi promises to remove 50 pc reservation cap: Gandhi scion’s pipe dream bypasses SC order even as he ceaselessly accuses BJP of altering constitution

Even as political pundits and psephologists peg Congress to win not more than 40-80 Lok Sabha seats in the ongoing general elections, senior party leader Rahul Gandhi has been making fanciful claims should his party form a government at the centre.

In a recent political rally, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced today that Congress will eliminate the Supreme Court-imposed 50% limit on caste-based reservations and expand quota benefits for Dalit, backwards, and tribal communities.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi emphasized that the election aims to protect the Constitution. “The BJP and RSS want to undermine and alter the Constitution, while the Congress and the INDIA bloc strive to safeguard it. This Constitution grants you rights over water, forests, and land, which Narendra Modi seeks to abolish for absolute control,” he declared, holding up a copy of the Constitution.

Gandhi criticized BJP leaders for their intentions to alter the Constitution if victorious. “They’ve promoted the ‘400 seats’ slogan, but they won’t even secure 150 seats. They aim to eliminate reservations. From this platform, I pledge to increase reservations beyond the 50% cap, providing necessary quotas for the poor, backward classes, Dalits, and Adivasis,” he stated.

His comments come during an intense campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, marked by heated debates on reservations between the NDA and the INDIA bloc.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP have accused the Congress of planning to manipulate reservations for backward classes to favour Muslims, an allegation the Congress denies. At a rally in Banaskantha, Gujarat, Modi challenged the Congress to pledge not to misuse reservations based on religion or alter the Constitution for such purposes.

It is worth noting that something as substantial as extending the reservation quota and bypassing the Supreme Court verdict that mandates a reservation quota at 50 per cent would require a thumping majority in both houses of the parliament. But as per conservative estimates, the INDI alliance is struggling electorally almost across the length and breadth of the country.

Even if one assumes that Congress and its allies somehow manage to form a government at the centre, the fact that they would alter the constitution to end the 50 per cent reservation cap could spark social churn and outrage that could easily spill into civil war and violence, a prospect which the Wayanad MP seems to have overlooked.

Nevertheless, the broadsides against the BJP and RSS over altering the constitution were ironic, given that it is Rahul Gandhi himself who is claiming to change the constitution-mandated 50 per cent quota for reservations. Moreover, Congress is fighting the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance under the banner I.N.D.I, which comprises several regional political parties, including the SP, RJD, DMK, and others. He has not revealed whether the decision to alter the reservation quota has the approval of his alliance partners.

However, it is incredibly hilarious on the part of Congress and Rahul Gandhi to make sweeping promises such as extending the reservations when they are content playing second and, at times, third fiddle to the regional parties. For instance, in Uttar Pradesh, the state with the highest Lok Sabha seats, Congress is fighting on a paltry 17 out of 80 seats. In Bihar too, Congress has been subordinated to the secondary position by Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD. The scene in Tamil Nadu, where DMK is in power, is no different. But the biggest challenge for the Congress party from an opposition party is in Bengal, where the seat-sharing formula didn’t materialise as the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee announced going solo into the elections.

These internecine challenges, along with the Modi juggernaut, which conservative estimates peg would only cross 272—the number of seats required to form a government—but also better its previous tally should have chastened Rahul Gandhi a bit in terms of promises he has been dishing out over the imaginary formation of the government with an opportunistic alliance whose partners have competing interests and differing priorities.

Yet, the Gandhi scion has been making a slew of promises in his election rallies, never bothering to account for the reality staring him in his face and explaining how his promise of altering the constitution is different from what he accuses PM Modi and the BJP of doing if they come to power for the third time.

Perhaps Gandhi realised that his alliance was not coming to power this year, so he embraced a scorched-earth policy, a total disregard for the country’s institutions, constitution, and, more importantly, people, in the forlorn hope of causing a substantial dent in the BJP’s margins of victory in the elections.

This is why Gandhi kept trotting out dangerous tropes, something he had been doing for a while now he and his party have always playing the catching-up game with the Modi government. At the Ratlam rally, Gandhi demonised the media by claiming they neglected atrocities against Adivasis. “Your children are raped, your land is seized, but the media remains silent because there are no Adivasis in media companies,” said Gandhi, which is another brazen attempt to pass the buck on the media to cover up the inadequacies of his party and leaders.

He also pointed out that the country’s governance is dominated by a small group of bureaucrats, with minimal representation from Adivasis, backward classes, and Dalits. “We aim to change this imbalance through a caste Census and an economic survey,” he said. Amit Shah had already countered this lie in 2023 when he revealed that the current batch of bureaucrats was from 1992 or earlier when BJP was not in power and the Congress governments had reserved categories only for SC and ST, and not OBC.

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